Web browser Firefox has upgraded its search engine offering faster and more responsive connections with additional privacy features as it seeks to draw back users who have migrated to Google’s Chrome and Apple’s Safari over the last decade.
The US-based firm says that the upgrade, which was done on Tuesday, is the biggest of its kind in 13 years.
In Firefox Quantum, the company has rebuilt its older browser from the ground up, focusing on the current daily online habits of users.
Mozilla chief executive Chris Beard said the new Firefox is more powerful than before with speeds of up to twice as fast as a year ago. Firefox is owned by the not-for-profit Mozilla Foundation - a subsidiary of the Mozilla Corporation.
“What you will notice first is that the new Firefox – Firefox Quantum - is blazing fast,” said Mr Beard.
“We are excited to deliver a browser that feels completely different — modern, quick and efficient.”
It boasts of faster page loading speeds while using less computer memory.
Firefox has been facing increasing competition although it was the fastest growing browser in the late 2000s. The company, which once had a quarter of the global market share, accounted for 13 per cent of Internet browsing in October 2017.
In a bid to win back customers who are now more comfortable with Chrome, Firefox has also reverted to using Google as the default browser in the United States and Canada.
Firefox Quantum was piloted since September by developers.
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